hello we are new here and haveing some problems crate training our 12 week old siberian husky, we have a large metal bar crate so she can grow into it, and we want her to be crate trained for her own safe place as well as if we travel. and vet visits if need be. when she goes into the crate she goes balistic and tries to bite the bars , i am worried about her teeth, and she just keeps on going crazy. she just plain and simple freaks out very bad. any suggestions would be great.

sugarcatmom

February 28th, 2008, 08:59 PM

I posted a link to this site in your introductory thread, but here is the page specifically talking about short-term and long-term confinement areas: http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-playroom-amp-doggy-den

akayladog

February 28th, 2008, 11:26 PM

thanks that is so much helpful information, we are going to puppy classes on tuesday, so they will be able to help as well. thank you

jessi76

February 29th, 2008, 11:17 AM

you should introduce the crate VERY slowly - start with 30 seconds, work up to a minute, then 2, then 5, then 10min, etc...

going slowly and gradually eases the pup into accepting the crate as a happy safe place. reward when IN the crate, not when coming out. you want the dog to associate GOOD things w/ the crate, not with being released from the crate.

toss a toy in, IF the dog goes in after the toy - quickly give a small treat when the dog is in the crate. praise and be happy about it too....

I repeated the word KENNEL when my dog went inside, so he associated the word also.

if you start with small time increments and work up, it should go smoother. start on a weekend if possible so you have time to build up.

akayladog

February 29th, 2008, 09:17 PM

ok sounds great, when she starts to freak out then we let her out and she has her ears back and is craving attention, the most we have got is 15 miniutes, we try and play her out so she sleeps in there, but i agree have to work up the time.

BusterBoo

February 29th, 2008, 09:26 PM

When i started Buster in his "house", I simply left the door open...for a couple of days and would place a treat or toy in the crate. When he went in, I didn't say anything, just let him sniff around and smell his blankets, toys and eat his treats. It took a few days before he would lay down and chew on his kong. Then we advanced to closing the door, while we were still in sight and telling him Good Boy in House.

It takes a while, but now I tell Buster I have to go out and he needs to go "in your house" and he goes in his crate and waits.

It always has to be a positive experience for your dog, there should be no stress and it takes a while to build up to that.

Good luck!

Sanddi

March 1st, 2008, 06:43 PM

I had the same problem that your having. I tried everything. We left the door open , her toys in there her food. I even got in with her. The minute we closed the door she freaked. She cried she clawed she went crazy. This went on for a while. I slept on the couch with my hand in her crate. That would work a while. An hour later she would start. I just gave up. My husband got no sleep and neither did I . My three cats just looked at her like shut up! We stopped crating her and things worked out fine. I could put her in the kitchen with baby gates.when we went out and she wouldn,t cry. She was always in the living room when we came home sleeping on clothing she took out of the bedroom. She always waited for us without any incidents. We later found out her first owner left her crated for up to twelve hours a day. She was only 4 months when I got her but the damage was done. I am lucky I work from home and was able to be here for her. When I took her to be spayed I warned my Vet about the crate. He said she would have to stay over nite. He called me after she woke up and told me to come and get her. He was afraid that she would hurt herself. I gave up I could not take the heart break of the crying I wish you luck. Let me now how things are going.

Sanddi

goldengal

March 1st, 2008, 07:26 PM

We found keeping the crate in the bedroom beside the bed was a huge help. Our 3 dogs were all puppies within an 18 month period. The Berner was the first to arrive, and he cried a lot in the crate, but we did not let him out, and I'll tell you why. My friend has a Berner too, and the very first night she decided she could not stand the crying and let him out. He has never adjusted to the crate. His crate was not in the bedroom.

My Golden was the second puppy to come on the scene and a friend who had a new German Shepherd pup told us how she put the crate beside the bed, and the puppy settled down quickly so I did the same and never had a problem. By the time the Leonberger arrived, we knew this worked and did the same thing.

All of our dogs will go to their crate when they are tired or just want time alone although the door has never been closed on them in a long time.

It is difficult, I know, to hear them cry when crated, but if you give in during the early days, it won't be easy to crate train them. I just remembered that initially we had a small crate. With a large crate you can put a box or something in so the puppy will be confined to a smaller space.We always gave our puppies a small treat when they entered the crate so they would know it was a good place.

H.P.

March 1st, 2008, 09:55 PM

When I was kennel training Sydney and Smokie, I would toss a treat in, a really good smelly treat. I also fed them in the kennel (and still do). When starting to have them sleep in the kennel, I found it was handy to have the kennel right next to the bed, and to stick my fingers in, so that they were sure that I was there until they settled down, then slowly take my fingers out. if they wake during the night, a few soft words, and the fingers go back in. It does take some time to get them to understand that it is a safe spot (esp. w/ Smokie whose previous owner used the crate as punishment:mad:).

akayladog

March 10th, 2008, 08:29 PM

our akayla is getting better she sleeps in there at night when we sleep, since we moved the crate to the bedroom, and we leave the door open. so whenever she zonks out we try and get her in her crate. hopefully this will go better.

allymack

March 10th, 2008, 10:41 PM

start out really slowly. that is the best advice.

to get ehr used to the crate, toss a treat or toy in to there and let her go in and get the treat or toy and say 'Crate' (or what ever word you are going to use) as she is going in, make going in to her crate seem like the best thing in the world. repeat this several times a day for a few days. then say "crate' and she should start to get the idea (with out tossing a treat or toy in) and she should start to go towards her crate if she does give her some praise, (but not enough to get her wound up), and quietly and getnly close the crate door, dont lock it, but keep your hand on it so she cant push it open, if she sits there quietly, give her a little treat open the door but keep your hand there so she cant run out ( this will be handy later on when she is bigger) and give her a release command to let her out of her crate ( i used 'ok') and repeat this step several times a day for a few days. when she sits quietly in the crate for a few minutes( with your hand holding the door closed) then start to lock the crate door and move a few feet away. if she starts to bark or whine dont let her out, dont give her any attention, totally ignore her, i mean turn your back to her and dont look at her. as soon as she is quiet give her a small treat and release her. do this a few times a day for a few days. then start building up the amount of time she is in her crate (with the door locked) and you being away from her. never let her out when she is whining or barking, as she will learn that it will get her out of the crate and will start to constantly do it. dont ever use the crate as punishment as you want it to be a place where she wants to be and a place that is safe, also dont ever slam the door or anything that can scare her while she is in the crate.

when you are teaching her not to come out of the crate untill you release her you should be able to open the door and leave the room and come back and still have her sitting in her crate waiting for the release command. to do this open the crate and at first sit in front of the door with your hand out and dont let her out, no matter how much she tries, and when she sits and waits a second, release her, then after a while of that, you can start baking up a little bit and just putting your hand out when she is starting to come out and say 'Ah Ah' and she should back up and wait. then start to leave the room, but still be where you can see her ( its best if you can see her but she cant see you if at all possible) and if you are out of her sight and you see her start to step out of the crate quickly step in to the room and say 'Ah Ah' she will soon learn that she has to wait untill you say ok untill she can leave her crate.

hope all of this helps, if you have any more questions you can pm me :)